The invention relates to a sealing device comprising a slide ring elastically prestressed against a counterring for sealing, the slide ring and counterring having sliding surfaces allowing relative rotation between the two. The counterring and an essentially L-shaped engaging ring are interconnected, and the engaging ring is relatively immovably affixed to a shaft to be sealed. The counterring and the engaging ring are sealed relative to each other by a sealing ring. The counterring is in direct contact with a radial segment of the engaging ring and surrounds an axial segment of the engaging ring with radial clearance. The sealing ring is sealingly arranged, under elastic prestressing, in the gap formed by the clearance.
Such a slide ring seal is known from German Patent Document 39 27 589 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,719. The engaging ring has a C-shaped cross-section open axially in the direction of the slide ring and is configured integrally and continuously with the sealing ring. The sealing ring and the engaging ring are vulcanized to one another, and the sealing ring has a profile adapted to the shape of the engaging ring and completely covering the surface of the engaging ring facing the counterring. The sealing ring seals the engaging ring and the counterring relatively to each other.